Beginner organist question: playing Bach

[victorgb]

Hi To all.

Well a big question for me. I have started playing some Bach Minuet and Jesu of mans desiring. I am quite proud of it. Its just Bach is so difficult but ever so beautiful. So I need advice on some easy Bach peaces?
and if possible if some one can help me with Bach sheet music with some chords. I struggle with my left hand. some training material will also be helpful. If I can just make it sound nice I be happy.

Kind Regards
Victor

 

[methodistgirl]

I just love Jesu Joy of Man's Desire. I play that one on the organ,guitar,
and the list goes on. Musicalis might be able to help.
judy tooley

 

[musicalis]

hi

For "Jesu of mans desiring", you can perform it, playing only soprano (G A B D C C E D D) and bass for the organ passage and chord with bass for the parts where the choirs are singing. Of course something will be missing, but It sound nice and everybody will reconize the music. I played like this when I was a teen and when I had only a piano for instrument.

 

[Krummhorn]

Hi Victor,

For my first year of organ study the teacher had me start out on the Eight Little Preludes & Fugues. Even in present time, 48 years later, I still enjoy those pieces, and so does my congregation - those are the ones the most people hang around to hear.

You could also try some of the Bach Chorales. One of our members has posted many of those chorales in this thread, and are there for the taking.

Indeed, I use Jesu Joy of Mans' Desiring periodically ... one of things my teacher taught me on that piece was not to retard at all at the ending, save for the last two chords (D7 and G major). If you play it this way sometime, you will feel the rhythm continuing on while holding the final chord for a few seconds.

 

[acc]

Hi Victor,

I second Krummhorn's suggestion of the Eight Short Preludes and Fugues (BWV 553–560).

Depending on your skill level, you might also want to check out Bach's works for the harpsichord, such as the Notenbüchlein for Anna Magdalena Bach, or the Clavier-Büchlein for Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, etc. Some of these little pieces work quite well at the organ, so they are especially recommended if you don't feel ready to tackle the pedals at this point.

 

[victorgb]

Hi to all

Wow you Girls and Guys are ever all so wonderful. I never expected these positive responses. A hearty thank you to all. I am going to download those peaces and learn them ASAP. Any help with a easy version of Air on G string ?

Regards to all
Victor

 

[jvhldb]

We'll seeing that everybody else is playing Jesu, joy of mans desiring, do you know where I find the organ sheet music? All I can find at the local music shop is the piano version.

 

[Contratrombone64]

Krumiest - the Eight Little Preludes and Fugues are just little diamonds, eh? A joy forever, indeed.

 

[Krummhorn]

We'll seeing that everybody else is playing Jesu, joy of mans desiring, do you know where I find the organ sheet music? All I can find at the local music shop is the piano version.

Johan,

Keep that thought for a few days - IMSLP is supposed to be up and running at 12:01AM on July 1, 2008. It surely will be there, albeit the Public Domain Gesellschaft (sp?) edition.

One can obtain the complete organ works of JSBach on CD these days. Contratrombone64 suggested this purchase, and I'm still in awe at having this available for my use anytime I need it. It's available from an outfit called CD Sheet Music.

Krumiest - the Eight Little Preludes and Fugues are just little diamonds, eh? A joy forever, indeed.

You are spot on there, CT64 ... I still use them several times during the year for preludes, offertories and postludes.

 

[kierantk]

Johan,

Keep that thought for a few days - IMSLP is supposed to be up and running at 12:01AM on July 1, 2008. It surely will be there, albeit the Public Domain Gesellschaft (sp?) edition.

One can obtain the complete organ works of JSBach on CD these days. Contratrombone64 suggested this purchase, and I'm still in awe at having this available for my use anytime I need it. It's available from an outfit called CD Sheet Music.

You are spot on there, CT64 ... I still use them several times during the year for preludes, offertories and postludes.

thats great news, i've been waiting for IMSLP to come up again, it was such a great resource

To the main poster, some of the works from bach's Well-Tempered Clavier (the 48) are also fairly easy to learn

As for an easy version of the Air on G, try http://www.free-scores.com/partitions_telecharger.php?partition=5856 - theres a fairly simple version on that site for piano solo

 

[jvhldb]

Thanks for the advice KH. I see they plan to start up on the 1st, I guess I wil just have to wait until then.

 

[victorgb]

Thank you to all again. Now help with audio file

Hello all

I am looking for a MIDI or mp3 organ recording for Bach BWV 98.

Thank You again
Regards
Victor

 

[greatcyber]

Hi Victor,

For my first year of organ study the teacher had me start out on the Eight Little Preludes & Fugues. Even in present time, 48 years later, I still enjoy those pieces, and so does my congregation - those are the ones the most people hang around to hear.

You could also try some of the Bach Chorales. One of our members has posted many of those chorales in this thread, and are there for the taking.

Indeed, I use Jesu Joy of Mans' Desiring periodically ... one of things my teacher taught me on that piece was not to retard at all at the ending, save for the last two chords (D7 and G major). If you play it this way sometime, you will feel the rhythm continuing on while holding the final chord for a few seconds.

KH,
Sort of sounds like my first year of organ lessons. I learned the same things and they have still kept special meaning for me all these years later...36 years later.

I also love to play all of the different versions of Ave Maria, from Gunoud, Schubert, Rosenwig (sp?) and Panis Angelicus, Ave Verum. I used to play the organ at church and my mother used to be the soloist, especially at weddings. Boy-that was a long time ago!

 

[Contratrombone64]

BWV 98 is a cantata, not an organ piece. Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan

My German's dodgy but "What god does is done well" is my translation.

 

[methodistgirl]

I know how it was for me to play a pipe organ the first. I all ready had
my share of small organs in smaller churches. Some had push buttons
instead of stops. Some were even so small they didn't even have any
bass pedals. I even had bad experiences with a Hammond growing up
in this little church I went to where I was at the point of I'd rather
play the piano than get on this old thing! The old Hammond was a
real mess. This was on of those where you had to turn it on with two
buttons. It was like trying to start an old airplane or something with
push buttons. Then one day a year this coming july I looked upon
this small pipe organ complete with stops and two manuals and the
main organist said. Have a seat! Try it out! What a wonderfully
big difference. Even though now I can't play it because of new rules
which stinks, I won't forget what happened. It is like being used to
a little economy car and someone tells you to try out their Cadillac
and give it a spin. It was like that. All you have to do is just get
the feel of the instrument and the rest will be history.
judy tooley

 

[Contratrombone64]

Judy, love your posts, you always make me smile.

 

[victorgb]

OOOOOOOOO Yes I must agree

I shall never forget my first pipe organ experience I was fortunate to video it its now on youtube http://youtube.com/watch?v=2vjWQnpXjn4 it was like flying my first solo flight in a Cessna. Well from playing small Yamaha's to poorly maintained Hammond's I must agree its like driving a big motorcar a memorable moment for sure. It was small pipe organ with 275 pipes but what the heck it was THE REAL THING and its was very well maintained. I have sadly played some poorly maintained pipe organs thats just SAD. Pipe organ maintenance here in South Africa is expensive and our last pipe organ building company closed last December.

Come on people I dare you all tell us about your first with the real thing PIPE ORGAN thats now LOL.

Have a great day to all
Regards
Victor

 

[Contratrombone64]

Victor - I guess I had never really thought of pipe organs existing in South Africa, but considering at least three major cities must have at least two types of cathedral (protestant and catholic) there must be at least a few. Can you tell me what the ones in the biggest cathedrals are like?

 

[jvhldb]

I shall never forget my first pipe organ experience I was fortunate to video it its now on youtube http://youtube.com/watch?v=2vjWQnpXjn4 it was like flying my first solo flight in a Cessna. Well from playing small Yamaha's to poorly maintained Hammond's I must agree its like driving a big motorcar a memorable moment for sure. It was small pipe organ with 275 pipes but what the heck it was THE REAL THING and its was very well maintained. I have sadly played some poorly maintained pipe organs thats just SAD. Pipe organ maintenance here in South Africa is expensive and our last pipe organ building company closed last December.

Come on people I dare you all tell us about your first with the real thing PIPE ORGAN thats now LOL.

Have a great day to all
Regards
Victor

I'm glad to hear it's not only the Free State that's suffering from poor organ maintenance. Our church organ was tuned last month, it sounded wonderfule, for 48 hours, then we realised the Prestant and Prinsipaal can't be used together, as well as several other combinations.

Do you also suffer from a lack of organists in Tzaneen? Around here (and in Bloemfontein) many churches are resorting to CD's for accompanyment during services (I guess they must be karaoke fans as well).

TO CT - I don't know if there are any Cathedrals in Victor's region, in the Free State the biggest organ is at the Odeion in Bloemfontein (41 registers), the details can be seen at http://www.janelsenaar.com/saindex.htm (unfortuanately the website is in Afrikaans), with photo's at http://www.janelsenaar.com/saindex.htm, an instrument I will never see except on photos, forget about playing it.

 

[victorgb]

Victor - I guess I had never really thought of pipe organs existing in South Africa, but considering at least three major cities must have at least two types of cathedral (protestant and catholic) there must be at least a few. Can you tell me what the ones in the biggest cathedrals are like?

Yes sure there is a lot of big organs here please visit this web site http://www.saorgans.ws/ and your question shall be answered

Thank you for your reply
Regards